


Professional Complainer

by junkosjunk



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Other, i'm sorry i haven't written in 6 yrs, stupid + grumpy lucio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-30 15:33:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18318143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junkosjunk/pseuds/junkosjunk
Summary: Their relationship was ALWAYS of the utmost professionalism--until it wasn't of course.





	Professional Complainer

Julian prided himself the most on his impeccable professional demeanor and his fantastic bedside manor. He was truly beloved by most all of his patients–most. There was of course one patient who he couldn’t seem to please no matter what he did. Normally, being the good doctor he was, Julian wouldn’t have blamed this particular patient for his sour attitude. All things considered he did know this patient exceptionally well! Too well really. And besides, if he himself had been suffering from the plague, he’d probably be a little grumpy as well.

However, none of that negated the fact that despite his bedside manor and his professional demeanor and especially his award winning theatrics, this one patient always had something negative to say. Always something to complain about.

“What do you mean there’s no cure YET!” “This medicine tastes like vomit, Jules!” “Why CAN’T I wander around whenever I want!? I feel fine!”

Julian truly didn’t mind the complaints half as much as the indignation behind them–as though he could hardly believe that the plague had the NERVE to infect him. However, knowing that that was indeed the reason for this patient acting this way, Julian couldn’t help but find amusement in the whole ordeal. After all when you’re surrounded by death and sickness you have to find little things to give you a laugh.

That laugh would be stifled however, as Julian enters the chambers of That One Patient and is met with a look of pure frustration. There he is, the single most annoying patient Julian has ever had to care for– arms crossed over his chest and messy hair sticking out every which way rather than slicked back like normal. Count Lucio, glaring at the door with a look so bratty most toddlers wouldn’t even be able match it.

“What took you so long? Does a dying man not take precedent ?! Am I your last stop of the day!”

Julian quirks an eyebrow, unfazed by Lucio’s outburst. It’s a daily occurrence at this point and so he plasters on a lopsided grin–as per usual– and throws out a few half-hearted apologies and sets up his supplies for the Count’s daily check up. They go through the motions; blood pressure, pulse checks, eye movement + brain function. Deep breath in, cough for me. The usual “doctor stuff”.

“Okay, you’re doing better than yesterday. Are you still trying to wander the halls?”

“So what if I am! This is my castle after all–”

“Listen we’ve been over this, Lucio. You can and should exercise when you feel up to it, but you shouldn’t exert yourself too much.”

Lucio scowls, he hated when Julian cut him off. Hated how he couldn’t stalk the halls like he used to and absolutely hated being treated like a child. But he remained silent. His eyes follow Julian’s hands as they work to make some more tinctures. He wants to ask what this new one is for. But they’re all always for the same thing. Just simple attempts to make him more comfortable until the inevitable. Or until his doctor managed to find a cure at least.

Julian is busy at work, focusing on the mixtures. Some of this, some of that. He’s idly asking how Lucio’s pain is; about which symptoms are giving him the most trouble today. How is he sleeping? How is his pain? Is he feeling extra cold or extra war–Hey!

“Hey! Lucio! Are you even listening? These questions are important! How do you expect me to cure you if you don’t even tell me what’s wrong, huh? I’m not a mind reader yaknow– ”

Of course he was listening he just didn’t care to answer really. The answers were generally the same. The lecture was the same too. How many times have they gone through this doctor-patient routine?

“Jules…can you tell me how much time I have?”

Julian is, of course, caught off guard. It’s not like Lucio to comment or ask about his own mortality. This question has never come up–and in all honesty he can’t answer it. He looks up from his work to the count, carefully setting everything down to focus his full attention on Lucio.

“Listen, Lucio..” his voice is soft, no theatrics and no sarcasm. “There’s no way for me to be certain. I can only go off the other people I’ve treated, putting their vitals against your’s. All I can really say is that you’re doing exceptionally well compared to others who suffered from the plague.”

He pauses, debating whether or not he should continue–ultimately deciding there’s no real way to lose with his next statement.

“The fact is, Lucio, if you had brought on every doctor when people first started getting sick and funded their research. There might have been a much higher chance of not only your survival, but the cure too.”

In true Lucio fashion, his face contorts to a look of shock and anger! His hand comes up to smack Julian across the face. “How DARE you insinuate that this–”

“I’ve insinuated nothing.” Again, Julian cuts him off.

He’s terse, in his words and turns back to his tinctures. He had truly hoped that Lucio, should he survive would have learned something for this. And if not, well..he wouldn’t really be able cause more trouble at least.

The lack of attention leaves Lucio even more frustrated than before–not only is he miserably confined to his bed more often than not, but he’s given even less attention than he thought.

“Jules..”

“What.”

The harshness in Julian’s voice is….jarring. It’s not often that Julian has gotten so short with Lucio despite how often he deserves it.

“Jules pay attention to me!” Rather than apologize for his outburst, or understand his own frustration he lashes out, yet again. “I’m stuck here ALL DAY and the only person worth seeing spends most of his time mixing tinctures that hardly do anything–at least have a conversation with me!”

A heavy sigh is released–Julian rolls his eyes and turns back to the Count. Exhaustion is heavy on his features and he’s just so very close to finishing this tincture and getting out of Lucio’s general vicinity.

“What, pray tell, would you like to talk about? What can I do to ease your suffering of Lack of Attention Syndrome?” Julian waves his hands about dramatically. Mentally preparing his theatrics--normally reserved for his other patients who actually appreciate them.

“Listen..Jules…you’re my oldest friend here. “ Lucio starts, he’s nervous and not entirely sure where he’s going with this. He’s seemingly unsure of how to continue. “I just…I just want to know if I’m that insufferable that no one…not even you wants to be around me.”

…? Julian is not entirely sure if these sudden changes in Lucio’s normal behavior can be attributed to his sickness or–something deeper. He’s confused and caught off guard once again.

“Look, you can’t be so unaware of yourself. You have to know that you’ve always been insufferable, right?” Julian laughs, and his tone drips with a mixture of sincerity and sarcasm. It’s meant to come off as a joke.

Lucio’s face tinges red and his eyes widen as anger overtake him yet again. But he remains silent.

“After all, you know I’m a glutton for punishment and misery. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

The anger fades, Lucio wasn’t prepared for that and he looks away as his face grows even redder. “You won’t..leave me?”

Again Julian laughs, raking a hand through his messy hair and flashing a grin at Lucio. “Of course not, what kind of doctor would I be if I left my most annoying patient with no one but Valdemar left? None of the other doctors want to be anywhere near you.”

“They’re all useless anyway.” The blond can’t help but smile at the reassurance even as it’s a jab at his own insufferable personality. “Besides, you’ve always been my favorite doctor.”

An idea comes to Julian, it’s…unorthodox at best. But it’s rationalized under the guise of Lucio being such an unorthodox patient. He rests his hand on Lucio’s left arm. The metal work is still intricate and beautiful despite it not being his usual gauntlet. His fingers curl over the metal hand and he pulls it up to his lips–pressing a soft kiss to the ice cold metal.

Looking up at Lucio through thick lashes he can see shock once again painted over the Count’s features and he paints a lopsided smirk onto his own.

“Oh, dear Count Lucio, won’t you allow me to attempt another way to ease your suffering? Surely a bit of intimacy may help with some of your stress.”

His words come out drenched in over-dramatic sweetness as Julian brings the metal hand to his heart, reaching out with his other hand to caress Lucio’s cheek. The motion is all a show, but a good one nonetheless The Count’s cheeks dust over in pink which quickly dissipates before he throws out a cocky grin of his own–-twisting Julian’s shirt into his left hand and pulling the doctor from his chair onto the bed where he’s been resting the whole time.

He lands on top of Lucio in a heap of gangly limbs and is immediately wrapped into a tight hug. Laughter spills from both of them as Julian props himself up on top of the blond. Half expecting something a little more risque to happen, he’s surprised when instead Lucio curls into his form. The shock on his face fizzles to a softer look before long, a small smile curling the edges of his lips.

“Hm, Count Lucio, I diagnose a severe lack of intimate connections and a case of shallow relationships.”

Julian rests his head on his hand, snaking his free arm around Lucio’s form and pulling the blankets up further around his shoulders. Lucio’s arms are wrapped firmly around the red head’s waist, clinging tightly to the contact as if the man would disappear at any second.

“What would you prescribe for such a horrible thing, Doctor Jules?”

He laughs as the arms tighten even more around his waist, rubbing circles into Lucio’s back.

“I would say a heavy dose of reassurance and some physical contact would do the trick. Multiple times a day if possible.”

Lucio snickers into Julian’s chest and closes his eyes, his grip doesn’t relax right away. Instead it slowly lessens in intensity; most likely as a result of Julian rubbing comforting circles into his back and petting his hair softly, until Julian can hear soft snores emanating from the man next to him.

Once he was completely certain that the Count was in fact, fast asleep; he disentangles himself from the mass of blankets and body parts. Quietly, he finishes the tincture he had been working on, and scrawls a note for Lucio to read when he wakes up.

> “Take this once you wake up,  
>  Send for me an hour afterwards.
> 
> -J”

And with that finally finished, he silently packs up his things and slips out the door towards the library to continue on his research.

**Author's Note:**

> okay hi i haven't written anything in like 6 or 7 years but like anyway thanks for giving this a read and checking this out


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